A39682:447
A Saint Indeed
A saint indeed: or The great work of a Christian, opened and pressed; from Prov. 4. 23 Being a seasonable and proper expedient for the recovery of the much decayed power of godliness, among the professors of these times. By John Flavell M. of the Gospel.
London: printed by W.R., 1668
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
Those that put a stock into the hands of unfaithful or suspicious servants, will be sure to make short reckonings with them: the heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked, Jer. 17. 9. O tis as necessary, as sweet, that we and our reins; that is, we and our secret thoughts confer together every night, Psal. 16. 7. we should call our hearts to account every evening, and say, O my heart! where hast thou been to day? where have thy thoughts wandered to day? what account canst thou give of them? O naughty heart, vain heart, couldst thou not abide by the fountain of delights? is there better entertainment with the creature than with God? the oftener the heart meets with rebukes and checks for wandering, the less twill wander; if every vain thought were retracted with a sigh, every excursion of the heart from God with a severe check; it would not dare so boldly and frequently to digress and step aside: those actions which ⟨p. 211⟩are committed with reluctancy are not committed with frequency.
Those that put a stock into the hands of unfaithful or suspicious servants, will be sure to make short reckonings with them: the heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked, Ier. 17. 9. O tis as necessary, as sweet, that we and our reins; that is, we and our secret thoughts confer together every night, Psal. 16. 7. we should call our hearts to account every evening, and say, O my heart! where hast thou been to day? where have thy thoughts wandred to day? what account canst thou give of them? O naughty heart, vain heart, couldst thou not abide by the fountain of delights? is there better entertainment with the creature than with God? the oftner the heart meets with rebukes and checks for wandring, the less twill wander; if every vain thought were retracted with a sigh, every excursion of the heart from God with a severe check; it would not dare so boldly and frequently to digress and step aside: those actions which ⟨p. 211⟩are committed with reluctancy are not committed with frequency.